RETAILING BREAD

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23284, 1 March 1939, Page 15

RETAILING BREAD

Sir, —In reply to "Loafer" I would like to rectify the impression that the baker was to blame. The truth aimed at was that the retail distributor could not carry on with the increased loss on bread. Some of this would pass automatically to the public. This has come to pass already, as retailers must cut their orders heavily and take no risks while the people have been walking the streets hunting bread. If retail distributors cease to handle bread bakers must deliver, which is tantamount to an increase to 6d per loaf. Then the baker must buy more vans, incur higher labour costs and do what lie likes with "yesterday's" bread. The consumer must order exactly what he guesses he wants the previous day, and pay if there is waste. I do not blame the bakers; they are fortunately a powerful union, and must do all they can to safeguard their risk, enterprise arid commitments as to plant, machinery, buildings and leases in these times, and quite rightly so. 1 do say their representations have gained' a little to themselves at the expense of the retail distributor and the public. The gross profit on handling bread is within a fraction of one-third of the margin on milk and the majority of products, yet retailers must supply more business space, and a surprising quantity of expensive paper. Does any reasonable person consider it sound for a retailer to handle this commodity, with or without the additional loss on stale bread which the bakers could themselves control, and for which they have an established market in butchers, sausage makers and kindred trades, and zoos. The baker incurs none of the above costs when delivering to the public, but may charge 6d per loaf; the retailer carries it all, but may charge only o£d. Retailer.